~Shipping Authors' Café~

[Midnightmoon6o2]

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?

I don't. before i write i imagine a scene. normally it would be a scene i would really like but before i actually start typeing i would think of more ideas to relate to my idea. right now i have one right now but i don't really know how to end it. lol.

 

[Yoshi-kun]

So, how does the popularity of your fanfic affect you?

It depends, I prefer writing for writing and would never hold a fic hostage for reviews, but reviews do make it feel worthwhile. It lets you know that someone is reading your fic besides the hit counter. To get constuctive critisism is something I like too, it lets me know what I'm doing wrong and how I can improve.

One last thing I wanted to say, another thing that has had to have happened at least once, lol.
Three words. Popular. Crappy. Fanfics.
Come on, you've all seen them. Those fanfics that make no sense, have the writing of a preschooler, and yet have 10,000 + reviews. Thoughts? I tend to just get annoyed, since there are much, much, MUCH better fanfics out there that hardly ever get noticed because it's not by a popular member or not of a popular ship D:

That reminds of why

Spoiler: Warning: if you click you risk losing IQ points

My Immortal

was the most popular thing on FF. Well, not exactly, it was more of a bile fasination at the worst fanfic ever than anything from what I saw. But still, it was the most popular thing on the site maybe ever, so what does that say?

It's horribly annoying though. I know of two fics with a similar plot and one is better wrtten, but the other has way more reviews. I don't get it, and no matter how many times I see it I don't get why people like crud. Just because it has your favorite pairing? That always made me angry that they were butchering a pairing I like. :/

This was sort of a strange transition for me as I went from writing in the regular fanfiction section to this part, and shippers tend to be a lot more forgiving of your writing so long as you're writing about a pair of characters they like.

Which is frustrating as I said, why doesn't bother them if the ship they like and the characters in the fic only resemble each other in name? Do they really just care about them getting together? (Why do ask questions I already know the answer to? >>

Popular members tend to have better luck with obscure pairings than a novice would have, particularly in a forum environment. It's as if you almost have to write a mainstream shipping fic in order to be "accepted" as a good enough writer to pull off something different. Of course there are exceptions, but that's just the general view I get.

It is to me too. :/

To fan fic readers, do you treat fan fics like a book you would read?

In a way, it depends on how it was was written. Some fanfictions when written a certain way can read like books, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise I tend to read them like episode sympnosis.

When you are reading, what else do you do besides reading? Do you try and imagine the story? Are you listening to music or do you feel the actions coming out the screen?

I imagine the story playing out in my head like television, but that's always been the case when I read stories. Especially for fanfics, I imagine like an episode with the characters voices and everything. It's just the way I do it.

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?

I do that before writing. I try to imagine everything in the plot before I begin to write, even talking out some of the dialougue just before I write the first word, just to make sure it makes sense. I know that sounds weird ^ ^; but it helps. I don't get stuck as bad when I have it sort of planned out. And a line that pops into your head and sounds good one moment can sound really bad when you say it to yourself the next.

 

[Hollypaw's_cool14]

When you are reading, what else do you do besides reading? Do you try and imagine the story? Are you listening to music or do you feel the actions coming out the screen?
I do all three. I always try to imagine the story, if I can’t then the fic or whatever isn’t worth reading, at least not to me. Because I come from a loud family if I don't have the music in the back round, I can't concentrate without something to help tune them out. Plus I normally put on music that is in sync with the mood of the story...Which helps me out with making the actions come out of the screen.

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?
No, I read. Then what ever I am reading about normally gets transformed into a scene of my story. But I never read an other story that has any of the charactors of my story in the other one.(Does that make any sense?) Or one random thought that the book made me think of usally twists around my brain untill I get annoyed enough to write it down.

I have two questions...
1) Who sleeps in; May or Drew, or is it neither? For example, does May wake up bright and early then proceeds to annoy Drew till he wakes up, or does Drew wake up, let May sleep till when ever she wakes up, then tease her about it later.
And 2) Does May run fast? For example, some one is a head of her--she runs--then complains to whoever she just caught up to untill he/she/it agrees to stop and wait for her to catch her breath, or does she start the races and leave everbody behind.
;136;Hollypaw;136;

 

[.Misdreavus.]

i love writing fics and i have like 50 of them on my computer (maybe not thaaat many), and i finish them usually, but i just get so nervous and never post them anywhere cus im scared they suck and i just havent realized it yet >.<......... im so pathetic T_T
advice, people??

 

[Encyclopika]

Never be worried about posting your fics here. I have to say all of our more respected reviewers (the ones that don't spam XD) are excellent at what they do and don't discourage. Please do post - both of you! :3

 

[MapleRoses]

I'm back. Oh, i'm late! Okay, here's my unwanted two cents.

1. Reviews > Okay, I've read other's posts about reviews and they are right. To me, a good review is a helpful review, which consists of at least two or three comments, whether positive or negative. I'm not saying that a good review must be full of critiques or praises. TBH, I don't like a review with only my mistakes and criticism. Yes, it might be helpful to me but it's desperately discouraging. I've ever received a comment full of critiques when i just started writing a shippy fic in other forum. As much as it was needed, i dislike it. Like undead_soul said, it really can make the author lose hopes. I was also nearly gave up until a friend of mind cheered me up. And of course, i dislike reviews consisting all praises. It perks the author up, but it's not helpful.
Myself, I tend to leave a review with more positive points than negative points, especially when i'm reviewing a newbie's fic. Like C.Gholy, I try to be as polite as possible when dealing with a bad fic. I usually point out the negative sides without any insults or bad language, cuz i've experienced it. It really hurts when someone review your fic with insults here and there Besides not making the author lose hopes, I also can avoid to be accused for flaming
I also hate it when someone reviews just to ask when will the next chapter come out. We all have our own life to run. You wouldn't like it if you're the author.

2. Plot
Be creative. There are a lot me ideas waiting for you to find out. Yes, you still can use common plots, but make it as creative as possible. "Misty meets Ash after ten years then confessed and kissed. End of my great story." is not a great plot. Add some difference, such as Ash meets Misty again because he was late for the train, or somewhat. You know, you even can get ideas when you eat! (at least, that's how i got my ideas XD)
Don't afraid to try something new. Maybe you're an avid advanceshipper, but it does no harm if you try to write other ships, such as pokeshipping or ikari. It's fun, really! Myself, I'm a contestshipper, but I won't mind trying tensionshipping, cookieshipping or breedershipping. I suggest try a oneshot first when you're trying to write a different ship. If it's working well, then you could continue it!
Be realistic, too. It's impossible to make Ash suddenly knocks out twenty strong bandits with his one hand or make Misty afraid of water.

3. Cure for the laziness! >_>
Wow, you have a similar problem with me! It also often occur to me. I know what i wanna write but i just couldn't type it into words. When i sit in front of my computer, i just stare at the blank screen with my hands probably rubbing my temples or scratching my head. If that happens, though, I listen to music. Well, yes, instrumental works just right.

4. Song fic. I agree with Encyclopika, the story should portray the song. Know MV? It's the video for a song if you buy a CD or album. Song fic is like MV, except it's written. When writing a song fic, i often portray the characters did what i write in a television while i'm watching. The words and sentences shouldn't be all the same with the lyric, cuz it's boring. But it's only my opinion, though.

5. Popularity. For me, it does really affect the amount of reviews. I've seen popular members with their fics had a lot of reviews. I'm not bashing or flaming but honestly, a lot of those are SPAMs. Many reviewer reviewed just to make the author know them, but she/he doesn't really enjoy the fic(especially if the writer is a veteran). I'm not popular here so the reviews i got ain't that much. But seriously, it doesn't really matter to me because i write mostly for my own enjoyment and closet readers. Muahahaha.

Answers for C.Gholy:
1. Depends. When I'm reading a chaptered fic, and a great one, then I do. But I like oneshots more cuz chaptered fics tend to have too much plot development which make the fic becomes complicated.
2. I always imagine the characters in a big screen like in movies (it happens when i'm writing as well). That's why descriptions are needed in a fic. We're not reading descriptions, but imagining them.

Answer for Encyclopika: No. Ideas run away when I tried to. Yes, I've tried several wrong, a lot of weird methods to improve my ideas, such as listening to music, eating biscuits, walking around, playing games and tidying my room(is 'tidying' a word?). So far, i found that listening to music and tidying my room work the best. Beside ideas, i can find my missing things too! and ah, yes, i got my ideas when i'm in the toilet, too! XP

 

[Yrik]

Thinking a little bit about writing an Advanceshipping fic once I get the time to (lack of time has been the demise of my other fics), so I should probably start posting here.

To fan fic readers, do you treat fan fics like a book you would read?

It really depends on the genre of what I'm reading for me. If I'm reading a trainer fic or something like that, it's hard to think of it as a single book just because they tend to go on and on without an ending in sight. With others, I typically try to read them as if they were a book or a series, unless they fall into the pattern of what I mentioned above. With the few fanfics I've read here, I try to picture them as books or short stories.

When you are reading, what else do you do besides reading? Do you try and imagine the story? Are you listening to music or do you feel the actions coming out the screen?

This is weird, because I really don't listen to music much, but lately I've been just about incapable of writing without either a movie soundtrack or a Billy Joel song playing. While this is going on, I try to either sketch out the scenes (badly) on paper while I'm writing, or if I don't have access to paper, I try to picture the scenes in my head as if it were a movie.

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?

Not while in the actual writing stage, but whenever I do something mindless like taking a shower or going for a walk, I always end up thinking of fic ideas.

 

[Musapion]

Hello, everyone!

I almost feel I don't belong here. Most of my writing is funneled into roleplaying, leaving me with few ideas for fanfiction.

Still, since I've just posted my first fanfic in a while (hey, it's a step up from posting only a single fic every year the way I used to ^^;; ), a Curtainshippy one-shot, well, why not?

So, I hope you'll accept me and don't mind my intrusion!

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?

Oh, God, this is definitely me.

Then again, I normally pace. I have a hard time keeping still anyway, so while I pace, my mind whirrs and I get plenty of ideas! So I suppose that's a "yes." <3

 

[Flurried Rains]

:O. Hello everyone! I only just started posting here, and I've never done anything with shipping before, so I'm new to all of this. I only recently started a shipping fic (I'm still working on the first chapter though, only the prologue's up) because I saw a couple on the internet and I REALLY liked it. . I have a question for you writers though...

How much of the plot do you come up with in your head before actually writing the story?

I've been wondering about that for a while now, as I only think up of a little bit of the plot and then see where it goes from there. I usually get my ideas while doing everyday things and they come randomly, so I get bored of waiting for them and start writing what I've thought of already. So I'm interested to hear what everyone else does.

To answer one of the topics here:

Does anyone pace or walk around for ideas while writing?

Not really, generally ideas come to me while doing everyday things (like I said before), when I'm organizing something, or when I'm working (because it's so boring and I start to think about a lot of stuff). I also think a lot at night, and usually write best at night as well. So most of the time I write in the middle of the night. :3.

 

[Encyclopika]

How much of the plot do you come up with in your head before actually writing the story?
Everything. I will know how the story ends before I type word one, and I will know how it gets to that spot.
I think it's more practical to do it that way, because then, as you write in the details, you can then start to think about more professional elements, like foreshadowing, that you can't really grasp unless you know beforehand what's going to happen. Though I've had story outcomes change differ from the originals, the basic ending elements are already there.
When it came to Demons of Metropolis, I went very far into this, and not only planned the whole story, but also each individual chapter. Even details were sorted out and passed through an inspection to make sure they sounded and worked right.

 

[Chelc]

BUMP 8D

YES SIZE 7 FONT, WHICH MEANS THIS IS IMPORTANT! lol, seriously guys, please take what I am about to into consideration. <3

As you may or may not know, there are many newbies around here who need help with their fan fics. Not only that, but there are newbies that need help with reviewing. If you see a story or review that breaks the rules, reply to them and help them out! Take them under your wing! This is not mandatory by any means, but if any of you guys have time it would be a great thing. Also, new writers and reviewers, POST HERE. There are many writers/reviewers willing to help you out! You could learn a thing or two from this thread, I'm sure.

Ok, that's all I wanted to say. Thank you for reading. =]

 

[granbull guy]

I love writing my fic and thinking of idea's for it but...
You see I'm weird, I'm like really self consious and don't like being embarrassed or not good enough. Well, with my Fanfic Paper Cuts I think because no one will review it's not good enough. My last one I deleted because it had one review and I thought it was complete crap. So should I be worried because it has no reviews? Does that mean it's bad?

 

[Encyclopika]

I can tell you by sheer experience that few reviews doesn't always mean you're producing crap. Review counts run on a few things:

.Who wrote the fic
.The ship
.Timing

Those three things can also predict WHO, down to the specific members, will review. Good writing, grammar, etc. only guarantees you good reviews, while a good plot coupled with it will bring you returning readers for further chapters.

Timing is something I'd like to point out, as well. Like any community, the shipping section goes through trends. What was popular during Hoenn (Contestshipping, Advanceshipping, Harley ships, etc.) may not be so popular now in Sinnoh (Dawn ships), the era of Neo Johto (Katone) or what was awesome 5 years ago (Pokeshipping BULK, Rocketshipping, Palletshipping). Sometimes you'll find that a ship is timeless, like Pokeshipping - and people will continue to write it and receive copious amounts of reviews.
You may also find that a newbie can write a beautiful story about ArchiexMaxie and succeed for the sheer LOLz of it, which is where the "what ship" category comes in and disrupts the time period.
And finally, it depends on who wrote it. Legendary writers are going to naturally attract more review and reading because they're known for and trusted to write amazing plot.

So don't fret if your story is not getting the feedback you think it deserves. These 3 limits are out of your control.

 

[Musapion]

Aha, especially pairings. xD;

Totally agreed with Encyclopika.

Of course, it doesn't mean one should only write popular pairings, you should write what you like, but don't expect many reviews. If you're writing for reviews, though, I suppose popular's best. ^^;

 

[Skiyomi]

A lot of people read fics and enjoy them but just don't tend to leave reviews either out of laziness or the fact that they don't feel that they can articulate their opinion in an intelligent way.

I mean, I know I've been guilty of that in the past (though I try not to do it anymore). And all you have to do is look at story stats on ff.net (which feed my control freak need for information) to see that.

...At least, that's what I tell myself.

What do you guys think of writing on a concrete schedule?

I was always against schedules, giving some kind of "creative flow" excuse or something. I decided to actually try out a schedule on the fic I started back in November and now I'm a total believer. I'm not only keeping to my schedule, but more often then not I'm actually ahead. That... has not happened before to say the least XD

Then again, I'm the kind that tends to need a dead-line to get things done, so I suppose it depends on what kind of person you are.

 

[Eon Master]

What do you guys think of writing on a concrete schedule?

I personally write better without a set schedule, simply because then I feel like whatever I write is rushed. I'm fairly meticulous; I hate making mistakes, so I take my time to make sure they don't happen or are corrected before the chapter is posted. The chapters I take my time with always come out better than the ones I rush.

 

[Encyclopika]

What do you guys think of writing on a concrete schedule?
I think that, for me, a schedule is good during breaks from school...but when school is on, I'll be surprised if I write anything at all.
I don't find that a deadline would rush me, but would probably help me put my priorities in check during freetime - a schedule would probably make me leave Facebook games alone and actually do something productive and write a fic. (and yes, writing a fic is much more productive than Farmville).

 

[Dan The Poke Man]

What do you guys think of writing on a concrete schedule?
I write when I remember my story. That's all there is to it for me.

BTW, I don't know what move the Feraligator in my story should use to hit T-Bolt. I'd like it to be a special move too.

 

[Vanilla*Twilight]

Hey, ^.^
iam a struggling noobie writer! i just posted my first fic and it wasnt very popular only 65views and 2 posts from other users.
and didnt make sense. The puctuation is horrible(i sux at it T.T)
something about spacing.
so would anyone like to read it?
i was thinking of closing the thread and trying again.

 

[Dan The Poke Man]

What's the title of it? I'd like to read it.